Publications on News Media
This section features selected Pew Research Center reports (since 2005) on the news media. Individual project websites contain more reports related to this topic. In particular, please visit Project for Excellence in Journalism, which conducts content analysis to examine trends in news coverage and aggregates data related to the news industry. Also visit the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, which examines the public's interest in the news and attitudes of and toward the press.
The Daily Show: Journalism, Satire or Just Laughs?
8 May 08An examination of whether America’s 4th-ranked journalist, Jon Stewart, is really the host of a news program.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Pope's Visit Draws Heavy Media Coverage
6 May 08The relationship between the relatively new pope and the hurting U.S. church was the primary story line in news reports of the pontiff's visit.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
The Wright Stuff: Obama's Pastor Corrals Campaign Coverage
6 May 08Last week, as Obama's controversial minister re-emerged into full public view, the controversy he generated made more news than either Hillary Clinton or John McCain.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Democratic Campaign Taking a Toll on Both Obama and Clinton
McCain Stays Under the Radar
1 May 08In four separate surveys conducted since March 20, when asked about each of the Democratic candidates, between 25%-31% of the public has said their opinions have recently become less favorable.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Democrats Division Unites Media
Post-Pennsylvania Spin Drowns Out McCain
29 Apr 08The week of the Pennsylvania primary ended with the prospect of a longer, tougher contest and with the volatile issue of race again occupying a prominent place in the media narrative.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
More Americans View Campaign As Too Negative
Obama's "Bitter" Comment Registers Widely
24 Apr 08Barack Obama's 'bitter' comment registered widely but just 29% of Americans say they paid very close attention to news about the presidential campaign last week, the lowest percentage recorded since December 2007.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
So, Just How Different Is Rupert Murdoch’s New Wall Street Journal?
23 Apr 08A Project for Excellence in Journalism content study finds that, to date, the newly staked out battleground between the Journal and Times seems to be located mostly on the playing field of politics.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Debatable Campaign Coverage
22 Apr 08Last week, a major part of the media narrative about the 2008 campaign involved the media themselves -- specifically ABC’s moderators for the April 16 debate in Philadelphia.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Less News is Good News for McCain
49% Say Network News Anchors Are All About the Same
17 Apr 08While McCain has been consistently less visible to the public, far more Americans say the news they have been hearing about him is generally positive than say the same about coverage of Obama or Clinton.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Network News Signing Off?
Many Journalists See Uncertain Future For Nightly TV Broadcasts and Fault Current Coverage
15 Apr 08Speculation over Katie Couric’s future as anchor of the CBS Evening News has raised the broader question of how long the three nightly network news broadcasts will be able to survive.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
McCain Doesn't Get Most Exposure, But Can't Be "Bitter" About Media
15 Apr 08Renewed attention to Iraq benefited the GOP candidate, while Democrats seemed caught up in a game of gaffe ping-pong, with the media eagerly keeping score.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Campaign News Interest Dips
Awareness of U.S. War Fatalities Rebounds
10 Apr 08With the campaign in a lull, interest, which had consistently surpassed previous presidential contests, is now comparable to the level measured in April 2004.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Clinton Punches, Obama Bowls, McCain Reminisces
8 Apr 08Obama attracted the most coverage, McCain's bio tour earned him headlines, but Clinton generated the clearest story line with her "Rocky" reference.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Clinton Controversy Heavily Covered but Obama Maintains Visibility Edge
Many Say Economic Reporting Too Negative
3 Apr 08While her Bosnia flap made Clinton the newsmaker of the week, she continues to lag behind Obama in terms of public visibility. Both candidates, despite recent negative news, have seen little change in their favorability.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Clinton's Turn in Bad News is Big News
Bosnia Gaffe Makes Her Top Newsmaker After a Week of Dominant Obama Coverage
1 Apr 08In recent campaign media narratives, bad news is big news. Hillary Clinton's oft-repeated story about encountering sniper fire in Bosnia made her last week's top newsmaker.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Talk Show Hosts Agree Obama Speech Was Boffo Theater but Some See the Script as Unconvincing
28 Mar 08The usually fractious fraternity of talking heads agreed on one thing -- Obama's ability to put words together. They were less unanimous about the content.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Obama Speech on Race Arguably Biggest Event of Campaign
27 Mar 08Fully 85% of Americans say they heard about Obama's speech, and 70% have heard more about him in the last week than any other candidate. The impact of events on Obama's image appears to be mixed.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Why News of Iraq Didn't Surge
26 Mar 08In the history of the Iraq conflict, May 24, 2007 may not go down as a red letter date; but it marked a turning point in media coverage of the third-longest war in U.S. history.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
A Complex Speech Challenges the Media
25 Mar 08For an entire week, political prognosticators and pundits grappled to come to grips with Barack Obama’s sophisticated and mulitlayered address on race relations
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Political Water Cooler Conversation Features Ferraro, Rev. Wright
Spitzer Scandal: Heavy Coverage, Moderate Interest
20 Mar 08Not only are Americans closely following news about Obama's preacher and Clinton surrogates, but an overwhelming majority (84%) are talking about the campaign with family and friends.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Racial Tensions Roil Democrats' Media Narrative
But 'Client 9' Dominated Front Page Coverage
18 Mar 08Maybe the good news for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama last week was that the problems of another Democrat -- Eliot Spitzer -- generated almost as much media attention as they did.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
State of the News Media 2008
17 Mar 08The Project for Excellence in Journalism's annual report finds that the current crisis in journalism may be less the loss of audience than the decoupling of news and advertising. On the upside, some news organizations have become places of risk and innovation with growing connection with audiences.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Financial Woes Overshadow All Other Concerns For Journalists
17 Mar 08A new survey of national and local reporters, producers, editors and executives finds soaring economic woes eclipse traditional worries about quality of coverage and credibility.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Rumors and Red Phones Capture The Public's Political Attention
38% Have Heard a Lot about "Obama's a Muslim" Rumors
13 Mar 08Americans are paying close attention to all aspects of the election this year, but the most widely recognized item involves rumors that Obama is a Muslim.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Clinton Gets Media to Turn Back the Clock
Even in a strong week for Hillary, the narrative turned on questions about Obama.
11 Mar 08In a strong week for Hillary, the narrative turned on questions about Obama’s toughness.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Public Sees Fair Fight
6 Mar 08Every week since November, 2007, the most covered news story has been the election, and the public has taken notice. Almost half of Americans (47%) listed it as the single news story they were following more closely than any other, up from 10% last November.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Combative Clinton Gets Media to Cover Itself
When Reporters Weren't Vetting Obama, They Were Questioning Their Own Treatment of Him
4 Mar 08
Project for Excellence in Journalism
NY Times' McCain Story Draws Public Interest - And Disapproval
Beef Recall and Failing Satellite Attract Attention
27 Feb 08By a nearly two-to-one margin those familiar with the Times' article on the Arizona senator's ties to a lobbyist think the paper was wrong to publish it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Democrats Dominate Media on Single Theme: Is Clinton Done?
Controversial New York Times Story Drives Almost All McCain Coverage
26 Feb 08While Obama's apparent frontrunner status claimed most coverage early in the week, the controversial New York Times story put McCain back in the news.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Campaign Seen as Less Negative than 2004 Contest
Gore, Edwards Endorsements Would Have Modest Impact
21 Feb 08The public remains highly engaged in the election, with no increase in campaign fatigue. Also, with the Democratic race still in question, a Gore endorsement would be more influential than one from Edwards.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Obama and Clinton Tie for Coverage, But Barack Wins on Tone
Democratic Race Dominates Presidential Campaign Coverage
20 Feb 08The media narrative for the Democratic presidential race shifted dramatically last week, anointing a definite frontrunner and an underdog.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Obama Inspiring but Inexperienced, Clinton Prepared to Lead but "Hard to Like"
13 Feb 08While Democrats and independents who lean Democratic believe Clinton is prepared to lead, Obama has a clear lead on three positive campaign themes: inspiration, change, and honesty.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Evolving Media Expectations Plaguing All Remaining Candidates
12 Feb 08The presidential campaign again dominated news coverage but the journalistic narratives were not really the ones for which any of the remaining candidates were were probably hoping.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Many Democrats Say Media Tougher on Clinton than Obama
Public Sees Candidates Focusing On Economy
7 Feb 08With campaign coverage dominating (including 76% of the cable newshole), nearly a third of Democrats say the press has been too tough on Clinton while more Republicans say the press has been too easy on McCain than the other candidates.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Where Men and Women Differ in Following the News
6 Feb 08A look at the public's news interests over the past year shows continuing differences between women and men in the types of news stories that they follow very closely.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
McCain Wins the Coverage Battle as Media Move to Anoint Him
4 Feb 08By generating more coverage than any other candidate last week, and easily outdistancing his GOP rivals, Sen. John McCain rode a media narrative of near inevitability last week. Plus, Sen. Ted Kennedy becomes a major newsmaker.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Clinton Finishes Third in Battle for Campaign Coverage (But it's Bill!!!)
29 Jan 08Although Obama's landslide win in South Carolina made him leading newsmaker of the week, he was certainly outdone in the race for media exposure by the Clinton tag team.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Interest Surges in Economic News, Especially the Housing Crisis
24 Jan 08Public interest in economic news reached its highest level in five years. Interest was only somewhat greater during the recession of the early 1990s.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Clinton and Obama Lead Pack Again in Tight Battle for Media Attention
23 Jan 08But, thanks to press fascination with Mike Huckabee, Republicans overall generated more press than Democrats last week.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Top Conservative Talkers Rap Huckabee and McCain
18 Jan 08The most popular conservative voices in talk radio last week seemed to take sides in the crowded Republican presidential field.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Clinton is the Big Winner Last Week in the Race for Coverage
15 Jan 08The resurrection in New Hampshire of John McCain's once-dead campaign did not translate into similar largesse of media attention.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
The Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008
11 Jan 08The internet is living up to its potential as a major source for news about the presidential races. Nearly a quarter of Americans say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the internet, almost double the percentage at a comparable point in 2004.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Only Half of Public Can Name Both Iowa Winners, but Many Complain of Too Much Media Coverage
10 Jan 08In the wake of his Iowa victory, Barack Obama for the first time supplanted Hillary Clinton as the most visible presidential candidate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
New Hampshire Teaches News Media a Lesson
10 Jan 08It wasn't quite "Dewey Defeats Truman," but after the Jan. 8 Granite State primary confounded many pollsters and pundits, a key story in coverage of the McCain and Clinton victories was the media's proclivity to predict and pre-analyze the results.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Gas Prices, Disasters Top News Interest in 2007
19 Dec 07Man-made and natural disasters dominated the list of the public's top news stories in 2007 but, as was the case in 2006, the rising price of gasoline attracted the largest audience of any news story.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Iraq Portrait: How the Press Has Covered Events on the Ground
19 Dec 07Through the first 10 months of 2007, the news media's picture of Iraq was painted mostly in bleak colors. But reports about daily attacks declined in late summer and fall, as did the amount of coverage from Iraq overall.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
What Was -- and Wasn't -- On the Public's Mind in 2007
19 Dec 07 A compilation of the top 15 stories in which public opinion played a significant role, and the year's most notable "non-barking dogs."
Pew Research Center
Oprah Boosts Obama's Visibility; Republicans Applaud Romney Speech
13 Dec 07Awareness of Winfrey's support for Obama was equally high across parties, genders and racial groups; leading GOP candidates still lag behind Obama and Clinton in public visibility.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Third Quarter News: Terrorism, Tight Credit, and Tragedies
6 Dec 07The threat of terrorism, a real estate recession, and man-made disasters all emerged as major stories in the U.S. news media in the third quarter of 2007, according to a new study of press coverage by the Project for Excellence in Journalism.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Journalists in Iraq: A Survey of Reporters on the Front Lines
28 Nov 07Journalists covering Iraq -- mostly veteran war correspondents -- give their reporting a generally positive assessment but describe conditions there as the most perilous they have ever encountered.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Iraq News: Less Dominant, Still Important
9 Nov 07Both media coverage of the conflict and public interest in it have fallen, but a growing number of Americans would like to see more war coverage, especially of U.S. troops and returning veterans.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
The Invisible Primary - Invisible No Longer
A First Look at Coverage of the 2008 Presidential Campaign
29 Oct 07In the early months of the 2008 campaign, the media had essentially winnowed the race to a handful of candidates and offered Americans relatively little information about their records or what they would do if elected.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Modest Interest in 2008 Campaign News
Democratic Candidates Better Known, Even Among Republicans
23 Oct 07Many more Republicans are able to recall unprompted the names of Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama than can name Rudy Giuliani and other leading GOP candidates.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Political Knowledge Update
Most of the Public Is Familiar with Key Political and Iraq Facts
24 Sep 07Take our updated quiz about prominent people and major events in the news. Then see how you did in comparison with 1,005 randomly sampled adults asked the same questions in a recent national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
The News You Choose
How User-Driven Content Differs from Mainstream Media
12 Sep 07In a world without journalists, or at least without editors, what would the news agenda look like? A one-week study of a new crop of user-driven news sites by the Project for Excellence in Journalism suggests that the news agenda would be more diverse, more transitory, and often drawn from a very different and perhaps controversial list of sources.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Michael Vick Case Draws Large Audience
Opinions about Media Coverage Show Sharp Racial Divide
28 Aug 07The Atlanta Falcons quarterback's legal troubles were last week's most followed news. Opinions of media coverage of the story showed a sharp racial divide with blacks far more critical than whites.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Who Watches Wall Street?
Interest in the Stock Market Is Currently Relatively High, but Only a Minority of Americans Regularly Follows Financial News
23 Aug 07Interest in the stock market is currently relatively high, but only a minority of Americans regularly follows economic news unless, like gas and food prices, it hits directly on the average pocketbook.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Two Decades of American News Preferences
Part 2: News Interest across Decades and "News Eras"
22 Aug 07In the second of two parts, Pew Research Center consultant Michael Robinson analyzes data from 165 surveys on audience news preferences to examine news interest across decades and describe how the public's news interests have changed -- or not changed -- over different news eras.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Presidential Campaign Overtakes Iraq as Media's Top Story
A Quarterly Report of the PEJ News Coverage Index
20 Aug 07The 2008 Presidential campaign -- with its crowded field and accelerated timetable -- emerged as the leading story in the American news media in the second quarter of 2007, supplanting the policy debate over Iraq.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Two Decades of American News Preferences
15 Aug 07Despite dramatic structural changes in the news media since the 1980s, the interests of news audiences have changed very little over the past several decades. Disaster News and Money News have been at the top of the charts throughout, while Tabloid News and Foreign News have been at the bottom. In this first of two reports, Pew Research Center consultant Michael Robinson analyzes data from 165 surveys on audience preferences taken by the PRC (and predecessor organizations) since 1986.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Internet News Audience Highly Critical of News Organizations
Views of Press Values and Performance: 1985-2007
9 Aug 07Americans continue to fault news organizations for a number of perceived failures. Solid majorities criticize the news media for political bias, inaccuracy and failing to acknowledge mistakes. Some of the harshest indictments of the press come from the growing segment that relies on the internet as its main news source.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Small Audience For Murdoch's Dow Jones Deal, Few Expect Change
9 Aug 07A majority of Americans who are following the story of publisher Rupert Murdoch's purchase of the Wall Street Journal say the sale will have little or no impact on the quality of the newspaper.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Public Blames Media for Too Much Celebrity Coverage
Cable and Network TV Worst Offenders
2 Aug 07An overwhelming majority of the public (87%) says celebrity scandals receive too much news coverage; and most who say celebrity news is over-covered blame the media -- not the public.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Publisher Murdoch's U.S. Track Record
30 Jul 07In light of his apparently successful bid to buy Down Jones, what is Rupert Murdoch's record in the American newspaper business?
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Hillary Clinton Most Visible Presidential Candidate
Republicans Say Campaign is Being Over-Covered
26 Jul 07Hillary Clinton leads all Democrats with 42% of the public saying they have heard the most about her in the news lately.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Who's Wild About Harry?
So Far, the Public Is More Interested in Buying the Book than in Reading about It
19 Jul 07The latest News Interest Index survey finds that, at least so far, most of the public isn't especially interested in news about the final installment in the Harry Potter series or the release of a new Potter movie; but an astounding number say they plan to buy Deathly Hallows when the book goes on sale on Saturday.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Is the Fairness Doctrine Fair Game?
A PEJ Backgrounder
19 Jul 07The rule requiring broadcasters to balance views aired on controversial subjects was repealed 20 years ago. Yet in recent weeks, debate about the Fairness Doctrine has re-emerged in media circles -- especially on talk radio.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Press Praised for Coverage of China's Product Problem
News Interest Survey Also Finds Public Mostly Relied on Traditional Media to Deliver the iPhone Message
6 Jul 07Most in public call news about safety issues involving Chinese imports accurate and appropriate in amount. Traditional media are also the main source of news about the latest in hi-tech communications: the iPhone.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Iraq Dominates News Landscape in First Half of 2007
Second String Stories Ranged from Politics and Crime to Pet Food and Celebrities, but the Public Stayed Tuned to Casualties and Troop Levels
29 Jun 07So far, the war in Iraq has eclipsed most other 2007news stories. Second string stories ranged from politics and crime to pet food and celebrities, but the public stayed primarily tuned to casualties and troop levels.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Missing in Action: News Coverage of Private Contract Forces in Iraq
Limited, Intermittent Reporting Leaves a Major Story of the War Largely Uncovered
21 Jun 07Extensive reliance in the Iraq conflict on military forces hired by private firms is a significant new element in 21St Century warfare. But what does the American public know about this phenomenon?
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Why Change the Channel?
Network News is All the Same, Cable Networks Are More Distinct
20 Jun 07For most of the public, broadcast network news is all the same. Not so cable news: Nearly half the public sees real differences among CNN, Fox News and MSNBC.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Did Talk Hosts Help Derail the Immigration Bill?
PEJ's Index Finds that in Weeks Preceding the Senate Vote Failure, Immigration was the Second-Most Popular Talk Topic and that Critics of the Legislation Dominated the Airwaves
18 Jun 07PEJ's Talk Show Index finds immigration was the second-most popular topic from May 13-June 8, and airwaves discussion was dominated by hosts opposed to the legislation who often referred to it with the politically damning term "amnesty bill."
Project for Excellence in Journalism
A Spiritual Network in Cyberspace
Beliefnet.com Proves a Successful Model for Combining Journalism and Networking
11 Jun 07If Beliefnet is not exactly a household name, it is an interesting experiment in online journalism. For one thing, its own turbulent history in some ways reflects the trajectory of the internet itself. For another, the strategy it has settled on -- a subject specific site that offers interactivity, networking and journalistic even-handedness -- may offer one working blueprint for the rapidly evolving field of Web information.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Political Divide in Views of Campaign Coverage
Public Wants More Coverage on Issues, Less on Fundraising
1 Jun 07About half the public believes that press coverage of 2008 presidential candidates has been fair, but there are partisan differences in these evaluations. A plurality of Republicans say the press has been too easy on Democratic candidates.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Gas Prices Grab the Public's Attention
Interest in News about Inflation at the Pump Goes Beyond Just Knowing Where to Find the Cheapest Gallon
30 May 07Interest in news about inflation at the pump goes beyond learning where to find the cheapest gallon and extends to impacts on the national economy.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
A Quarter's Worth of News Coverage
Project for Excellence in Journalism's Analysis Finds Iraq War Coverage Mostly about the U.S., 2008 Presidential Campaign Coverage Mostly about Democrats
25 May 07Three-month review of media finds Iraq coverage was mostly about the U.S., while 2008 campaign coverage was mostly about Democrats.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Growing Up With the News
Most Parents Encourage Teenagers to Follow Current Events, Though Younger Children Are Often Shielded
23 May 07In an era when war, tragedy and scandal often dominate the headlines, America's parents are more likely to encourage children to follow the news than they are to shield them from it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Who's Watching American Idol?
Relatively Few Worship Regularly at the Top TV Show's Altar
17 May 07In spite of the fact that the show has topped the television ratings throughout the season, as American Idol Season 6 comes to a close the latest news interest survey finds three-quarters of the public paying little or no attention to it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Public Chows Down on Pet Food Recall
Only Iraq War Leads in News Interest; Queen and Tenet Lag Far Behind
9 May 07The recall of more than 100 brands of pet food due to possible contamination was the second most closely followed news story last week. Only events in Iraq attracted more public interest.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
The GOP's Invisible Men
Democratic Candidates Dominate the News
2 May 07Heading into their first debate Thursday evening, what Republican candidates for the presidency need most is to gain visibility. The latest News Interest Index survey finds Clinton and Obama are far more visible, even to Republicans.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Blacksburg Tragedy Draws Close Public Attention, but Less Than Columbine Did Eight Years Ago
25 Apr 07Fully 45% of Americans paid very close attention to the Va. Tech shootings but more than two-thirds of Americans (68%) paid very close attention to the Columbine incident in 1999.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Events in Iraq Top Don Imus in News Interest
18 Apr 07The war in Iraq continued to attract broad public attention, despite drawing far less news coverage than the Imus flap. Overall, 26% of Americans cited the war as the story they followed most closely, compared with 20% who followed the Imus story most closely.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Most Say Imus's Punishment Was Appropriate
18 Apr 07A new survey finds that Americans generally agree with the punishment radio host Don Imus received for the racist and sexist remarks he made about the Rutgers University's women basketball team. Nonetheless, there are substantial racial differences in views of Imus's punishment, and the media's coverage of the story.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Assessing the Imus Mess
12 Apr 07Even before Don Imus got the word that MSNBC and CBS had dropped him, a quick survey of the media coverage in the week since the veteran talk host uttered his infamous April 4 racial and gender insult suggests he will face a tough battle to re-establish his reputation and viability.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Iraq Tops News Interest - and Anna Holds Her Own
Despite Media Focus on British Hostages in Iran, War News Draws More Public Attention and Ms. Smith's Autopsy Scores Big
5 Apr 07While the media focused more on British sailors held in Iran and the US attorneys scandal, news from Iraq remains the public's clear priority. The core Anna Nicole Smith audience remains as large as in February, despite far more limited press coverage.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
News Leaks Remain Divisive, but Libby Case Has Little Impact
Unauthorized Disclosures to Media Seen as Motivated More by Personal than Political Reasons
5 Apr 07Attitudes towards news leaks are virtually the same now as in 1986, with the public about evenly split between those who say leaks serve the public interest and those who say they harm it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Who Do You Trust for War News?
The Public Now Puts Little Confidence in the Descriptions of Iraq Provided by Either the Military or the Press
5 Apr 07Four years into the Iraq war, most Americans say they have little or no confidence in the information they receive -- from either the military or the media -- about how things are going on the ground.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Cruising for News: The State of Digital Journalism
PEJ's Annual State of the Media Report Provides an Interactive Assessment
5 Apr 07The Project for Excellence in Journalism's State of the Media Report provides an interactive tool to help users understand news options available on the Web.
Pew Research Center
State of the American News Media, 2007: Mainstream Media Go Niche
Project for Excellence in Journalism Report Finds Every TV News Component Losing Audience
12 Mar 07The Project for Excellence in Journalism's fourth annual report finds every sector of TV news lost audience in 2006. Newspapers, while garnering larger audiences for their content via online platforms, faced more downbeat financial assessments.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Top Journalists Less Widely Admired Than 20 Years Ago
Fragmented Media Diminishes Prominence of Stars
8 Mar 07Only a slim majority can now name the journalist they admire most and the preferences are scattered across the networks, cable news channels, public television and even Comedy Central.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
A Verdict on the Media's Verdict on the Libby Trial
Not Guilty of Overt Celebration
8 Mar 07The jury has spoken in the perjury and obstruction trial of Scooter Libby that so intimately involved the journalism profession itself. We know the vice-president's former top aide was found guilty. But who and what else did the media implicate in its post-verdict coverage?
Project for Excellence in Journalism
How the Press Described that 400 Point Drop in the Dow
1 Mar 07"Correction" edged out "plunge" as the most used term, according to a Project for Excellence in Journalism search of stories on Google News for Feb. 27 and Feb. 28.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Anna Nicole Audience Praises Press Coverage
1 Mar 07Even though most Americans (61%) think Anna Nicole Smith's death has been over-covered, the press gets high marks from that portion of the public (more than a third) who are following the story closely. Two-thirds of this group rate the coverage as good or excellent – better marks than the press receives from the audiences of any of the other top stories of the past week. This is in line with poll findings about previous tabloid stories: their core audiences think the press does a great job of covering them.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Too Much Anna Nicole, But the Saga Attracts an Audience
Pew Launches Weekly News Interest Index
16 Feb 07Comparisons between Pew's new gauge of public interest in the week's news and the PEJ's News Coverage Index find the public and the press often in agreement about the most important news stories.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Election Newshounds Speak Up
Newspaper, TV and Internet Fans Tell How and Why They Differ
6 Feb 07If you ask political news consumers what they like most about their favorite platform for news, a vivid image of a typical TV, newspaper, and internet political news consumer will emerge from their own comments. All three media forms win praise from their primary fans for their convenience but the context for its definition varies.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Top of the News: Politics, War, and a Crucial Speech
PEJ News Coverage Index: Jan. 21-26, 2007
30 Jan 07One not-so-subliminal message in last week's coverage is that of an increasingly dangerous and destabilizing world.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Iraq Policy Debate Dominates the News
But in a Week of Serious Events, Celebrity Coverage Held Its Own
16 Jan 07In the second week of the new year (January 7-12) Iraq policy filled 34% of the overall newshole and was the top story in all five media sectors -- newspapers, online, network TV, cable and radio.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Democrats in Congress Top the Week's News
The Debut of the PEJ News Coverage Index
9 Jan 07The changing of the political guard in Washington, the death of a president and the hanging of a dictator were enough to overshadow the war in Iraq in the American news media last week, according to the inaugural edition of the PEJ News Coverage Index.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
How the Media Did on Election Night
The 2006 campaign, and its climax, marked a transition in the news outlets covering it
27 Nov 06If the mid-term election of 2006 marked a transition in American political life -- the loss by the Republicans of both the House and the Senate -- the campaign also marked a transition in the rapidly changing landscape of the news media covering it.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Back to the Age of Local Publishers?
Hometown ownership stages a return to the newspaper industry
15 Nov 06One major trend of the last year is the emergence of private, local ownership groups returning to a prominent place in the newspaper industry. It appears that in several cities these private interests value newspapers more highly than the publicly traded equity markets.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Rating the Pundits
Which prognosticator was most prescient?
13 Nov 06With each election cycle come more websites and more political predictions. With a Democratic surge apparent and more competitive contests this year, the race among prognosticating pundits was even more intense than usual. Who fared best in the 2006 midterm elections?
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Journalists and the Jail Cell
23 Oct 06After declining in the late 1990's, there has been an increase in recent years in the number of journalists sent to prison for not revealing confidential sources. This Project for Excellence in Journalism report documents this trend and analyzes the conflicted public attitudes about the journalistic practice of using confidential sources.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Democrats Hold Solid Lead; Strong Anti-Incumbent, Anti-Bush Mood
14 Sep 06Voters view the coming elections through the prism of national issues and concerns
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
How 9-11 Changed the News
11 Sep 06Coverage of foreign affairs and terrorism soars; domestic issues languish and soft news holds firm.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Katie Couric: Perky and Cute, But Smart, Informed and Liberal, Too
All Three Commercial Evening News Anchors Viewed Positively
24 Aug 06The public has lots of kind words for Katie, Brian and Charles, but just one of the three new network anchors has cornered the market on "perky" and "liberal." Guess who?
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Voters Focus on Domestic Issues, Despite Crises Abroad
17 Aug 06War in Lebanon, widening violence in Iraq and the foiled airline terror plot failed to produce big changes in attitudes toward Israel or President Bush while economic worries continue to dominate the voting agenda.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Cable News: A Maturing Platform with an Uncertain Future
Industry leaders discuss what lies ahead for cable news
14 Aug 06A Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism roundtable brings together a panel of cable news industry leaders. Some predict the medium will adapt to the changing news consumer while others believe dramatic innovations are necessary.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Public Conflicted About Press Reports of Bank Record Monitoring
8 Aug 06Majority says reports hurt interest of American people -- but even bigger majority says they tell citizens something they should know.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
News Magazine Roundtable
The State of the News Media 2006
8 Aug 06In this Project for Excellence in Journalism roundtable discussion, magazine industry experts see change as not only inevitable, but essential if the publications are to continue to survive. But they disagree about just what those changes should entail.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Now in its Adolescence, the Internet Evolves into a Supplementary News Source
1 Aug 06Now, as the internet enters its second decade as a potent new information technology, a study of America's news consumption puts that adolescent's role in the media family into sharper focus and clearer context.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Online Papers Modestly Boost Newspaper Readership
30 Jul 06The biennial news consumption survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that newspapers, which have seen their audience decline in recent decades, are now stemming further losses with the help of their online editions.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Can the 'Dead Tree' Newspaper Survive?
A Roundtable Discussion among industry experts
26 Jul 06In this, the third of the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism roundtables on the future of the news media, six experts from inside the newspaper industry discuss its future, its fate, and the changes it must make to survive.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
A Blogger Portrait
The Internet Has Empowered a New Class of Commentators Eager to Share Personal - Much More Than Political - Views
19 Jul 06A new, national phone survey of bloggers finds that most are focused on describing their personal experiences to a relatively small audience of readers and that only a small proportion focus their coverage on politics, media, government, or technology.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Radio News Roundtable
The State of the News Media 2006
19 Jul 06Where does audio (or radio) lie on the fragmenting old media vs. new media spectrum? Can this medium, with its long, rich history, evolve to fit a changing information universe, or is it an endangered species?
Project for Excellence in Journalism
A Small Boost for Bush
Views of Iraq Improve
22 Jun 06Americans are more optimistic about the U.S. achieving its goals in Iraq.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
50 Million Americans Get News Online Every Day
22 Mar 06Many broadband users now say the internet is a main news source, surpassing even TV and papers, according to the Pew Internet Project.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
State of the News Media
Tough Times for Print Journalism - and In-Depth Reporting
14 Mar 06As audiences shift to new online media, print's problems have accelerated. But newspapers can still avoid a death spiral, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Mapping the Political Landscape 2005
1 Sep 05The Center's report offers a richly textured portrait of the American electorate, including a new analysis of 2004 election returns that reveals the congruence between where people live and how they vote.
Pew Research Center
Trends 2005
20 Jan 05The first publication of the Pew Research Center explores American public opinion and values, religion and public life, media, the Internet, Hispanics, the states and global opinion.
Pew Research Center